Fulton County Ohio Media

The Swanton Village Council recently approved Resolution 2021-10, Supporting and joining the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce in strongly urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to consider returning mail processing operations to its sorting facility in Toledo, Ohio. 

The Resolution read, in part, “Our residents and businesses rely on prompt mail for important everyday transactions like sending invoices, paying bills, receiving medications and shipping critical supplies.  Complaints of untimely mail delivery have persisted in Northwest Ohio since USPS transferred sorting operations from the Toledo processing facility to the Michigan Metroplex Facility in 2012.  In a survey of its member businesses conducted in 2020 by the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, more than 70 percent of responders indicated that delays in USPS mail delivery were negatively impacting them and their customers.”

A copy of the Resolution was sent by Mayor Neil Toeppe to the USPS addressed to Michael J. Gordon, Manager, Government Relations Correspondence.  A portion of the response is as follows:

“Dear Mayor Toeppe:  This responds to your recent correspondence, transmitting a copy of Resolution 2021-10 regarding the transfer of mail processing responsibilities for Northwest Ohio from the Michigan Metroplex Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) in Pontiac, Michigan, to a mail processing facility within the State of Ohio.

As you are aware, the U.S. Postal Service operates a nationwide network of mail processing and distribution centers that accept, sort, and dispatch the nation’s mail.  Moving, removing and repurposing mail processing equipment and operations or ‘operational mail moves’ is an ongoing Postal Service strategy dating back decades that allows for more efficient, timely delivery of mail and packages.

We contacted Operations officials at postal headquarters, who advised that there are no plans to transfer mail processing operations for Northwest Ohio from the Michigan Metroplex P&DC to another facility.  Moreover, there are currently no plans to further consolidate mail processing operations at the Toledo Processing and Distribution Facility.”

The letter went on to cite the combination of the pandemic, the national election and the holiday season as the major factor in causing the delays.  The letter ended with, “Since then, service levels have improved in most areas and we full anticipate improvements in service performance.  Thank you for writing.”

Pictured:  United States Post Office in Swanton